Tanzania in 2012

Dar es Salaam; only the legislature meets in Dodoma, the longtime planned capital

Head of state and government:

President Jakaya Kikwete, assisted by Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda

Tanzania had long been considered one of Africa’s most stable countries; in 2012, however, signs of factionalism emerged in the ruling Revolutionary Party of Tanzania (CCM) as it prepared for the impending 2015 election. In addition, the main opposition, Party for Democracy and Progress (Chadema), aggressively pursued protest demonstrations geared to increase future electoral support, while discontent emerged in Zanzibar.

In his final term of office, Pres. Jakaya Kikwete pushed more vigorously for party reform, although critics within his party accused him of conducting a witch hunt and intensifying internal tensions. On November 14 the CCM held its 8th national congress as part of the restructuring process begun in 2010. Although Kikwete was reelected national chairman, he refrained from declaring support for a possible successor as president. Meanwhile, the selection of Philip Mangula, former secretary-general of the party (1995–2007), as vice-chairman for the mainland branch was seen as a positive step toward restoring party unity. He was widely respected for his personal integrity, diplomacy, and opposition to corruption.

Increasingly, the issue of corruption dominated public discourse. Tanzanian civil society groups joined with opposition parties to campaign against rampant corruption in government, the police, and the judiciary. According to Transparency International’s East African Bribery Index 2012, Tanzania’s aggregate index value for the overall likelihood of bribery demands was 39.1%, making it the second most corrupt country in the region (after Uganda); this was up from third place in 2011. Concerns about corruption had much wider implications: the previous year several donor countries had cut funding to Tanzania, citing dissatisfaction with financial malpractice and the slow pace of reforms.

Although the CCM party had promised to implement anticorruption measures in the previous year, no significant action took place until May 4 after the controller and auditor general published the annual report on public finances, which identified officials in at least seven ministries as involved in “rampant misuse of funds.” This resulted in a major cabinet reshuffle, when Kikwete dismissed six high-profile ministers from the Ministries of Finance, Trade, Transport, Health, Tourism, and Energy—all involved in significant revenue generation (particularly Tourism and Energy). Although some former ministers awaited trials on corruption charges, no high-profile CCM member had yet been convicted. Nevertheless, Kikwete remained relatively popular, with a 2012 survey by Policy and Research for Development in conjunction with Afrobarometer indicating that his approval rating stood at 71%, significantly lower, however, than his 2008 rating of 90%.

Economic growth continued to be robust, with an overall GDP growth expected to average more than 7% in the period 2012–16. Toward the end of March, Statoil and Exxon Mobil oil-exploration companies announced the biggest offshore discovery yet of gas reserves off the Tanzanian coast. In the transportation sector, the government initiated its first commuter train service in Dar es Salaam, one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.

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